been?” She felt a sudden premonition and wished she hadn’t asked.
“I was giving Charlie a going-away present.”
The hair rose on the back of Carolyn’s neck. “You didn’t—”
“Relax, Caro. I asked him first.” She sounded amused. “He said yes.”
“If my parents ever find out . . .”
“I’ll tell them I felt it my patriotic duty.”
Carolyn groaned. “You’re insane!”
“Maybe I am.” She gave a bleak laugh. “At least, it gives me a good excuse to do what I want. You should try it sometime.” She turned her back to Carolyn. “We talked, too. We didn’t just—”
“I don’t want to hear what you did with my brother.”
“Are you mad?”
“I don’t know.”
“I like him, Caro. A Marine, no less.” She choked up. “Who would’ve guessed?” She let out her breath. “I’m going back to Berkeley in the morning.”
“I’m not mad, Chel. Maybe I should be, but . . . you don’t have to go.”
“Yes, I do. You need time with your family. They care about you.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Maybe you can’t see it, but I can. And I’m getting out of the way.”
“They were more interested in what you had to say than anything I’ve ever said.”
“Maybe that’s because you have to be drunk before you’ll open up and talk to anyone.” She raised herself up and peered at Carolyn. “If they didn’t give a squat, they wouldn’t have come home every night or taken you on every vacation. They wouldn’t have moved your grandmother into a cottage next door. So don’t try to tell me they didn’t care.” She warmed to her subject. “They call every few weeks and ask when you’re coming home for a visit. You want to know the last time my dad invited me home? I can’t tell you because I can’t remember. The last time I saw my father face-to-face was more than two years ago.”
“You get letters.”
“His secretary sends a form letter once a month and encloses a check. Money, Caro, that’s what I get from my parents.” Her voice broke. Carolyn could hear her swallow. “Money’s the cheapest, easiest gift anyone can give. If I had a hint my father or mother loved me, I’d—” She sounded angry. She spit out a four-letter word and flopped down again. “I’m going back to Berkeley, and you’re staying here, if for no other reason than this might be the last time you see your brother alive.”
Carolyn could feel her shaking and realized Chel was crying. She’d never seen this side of Chel before, broken, in pain. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to leave.”
“I can’t stand seeing what I’ve missed, Caro, what I’ll never have. What you’ve had all your life and don’t have the sense to appreciate.”
She turned over and Carolyn could tell the conversation was over. She was awake for more than an hour, wondering what would happen in the morning. What would her parents say if they found out what Chel had done? Chel would learn there was no such thing as a Father Knows Best or Leave It to Beaver family.
* * *
When Carolyn awakened, Chel was gone. So was her duffel bag. Mom sat at the table with a cup of coffee. “Your friend left about an hour ago.”
“Why?” Had Mom or Dad guessed what happened last night and told her to leave?
Mom shrugged. “She didn’t say. She thanked us and said she had to get back to Berkeley.”
Carolyn avoided her gaze. “Is Charlie up yet?”
“I guess he’s sleeping in.”
After the first uncomfortable moments after Charlie got up, the two of them wandered the property, talking about all sorts of things. He’d kept up with friends and filled her in on what they were doing, not that she had ever been part of their group. He talked about the Marine Corps and Vietnam and how much he believed in what he was doing. Maybe he’d stay in and make it a career, but he wasn’t really thinking beyond the years of his enlistment. “How about you, Caro?” When he used Chel’s nickname, she knew her friend was on
“I was giving Charlie a going-away present.”
The hair rose on the back of Carolyn’s neck. “You didn’t—”
“Relax, Caro. I asked him first.” She sounded amused. “He said yes.”
“If my parents ever find out . . .”
“I’ll tell them I felt it my patriotic duty.”
Carolyn groaned. “You’re insane!”
“Maybe I am.” She gave a bleak laugh. “At least, it gives me a good excuse to do what I want. You should try it sometime.” She turned her back to Carolyn. “We talked, too. We didn’t just—”
“I don’t want to hear what you did with my brother.”
“Are you mad?”
“I don’t know.”
“I like him, Caro. A Marine, no less.” She choked up. “Who would’ve guessed?” She let out her breath. “I’m going back to Berkeley in the morning.”
“I’m not mad, Chel. Maybe I should be, but . . . you don’t have to go.”
“Yes, I do. You need time with your family. They care about you.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Maybe you can’t see it, but I can. And I’m getting out of the way.”
“They were more interested in what you had to say than anything I’ve ever said.”
“Maybe that’s because you have to be drunk before you’ll open up and talk to anyone.” She raised herself up and peered at Carolyn. “If they didn’t give a squat, they wouldn’t have come home every night or taken you on every vacation. They wouldn’t have moved your grandmother into a cottage next door. So don’t try to tell me they didn’t care.” She warmed to her subject. “They call every few weeks and ask when you’re coming home for a visit. You want to know the last time my dad invited me home? I can’t tell you because I can’t remember. The last time I saw my father face-to-face was more than two years ago.”
“You get letters.”
“His secretary sends a form letter once a month and encloses a check. Money, Caro, that’s what I get from my parents.” Her voice broke. Carolyn could hear her swallow. “Money’s the cheapest, easiest gift anyone can give. If I had a hint my father or mother loved me, I’d—” She sounded angry. She spit out a four-letter word and flopped down again. “I’m going back to Berkeley, and you’re staying here, if for no other reason than this might be the last time you see your brother alive.”
Carolyn could feel her shaking and realized Chel was crying. She’d never seen this side of Chel before, broken, in pain. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to leave.”
“I can’t stand seeing what I’ve missed, Caro, what I’ll never have. What you’ve had all your life and don’t have the sense to appreciate.”
She turned over and Carolyn could tell the conversation was over. She was awake for more than an hour, wondering what would happen in the morning. What would her parents say if they found out what Chel had done? Chel would learn there was no such thing as a Father Knows Best or Leave It to Beaver family.
* * *
When Carolyn awakened, Chel was gone. So was her duffel bag. Mom sat at the table with a cup of coffee. “Your friend left about an hour ago.”
“Why?” Had Mom or Dad guessed what happened last night and told her to leave?
Mom shrugged. “She didn’t say. She thanked us and said she had to get back to Berkeley.”
Carolyn avoided her gaze. “Is Charlie up yet?”
“I guess he’s sleeping in.”
After the first uncomfortable moments after Charlie got up, the two of them wandered the property, talking about all sorts of things. He’d kept up with friends and filled her in on what they were doing, not that she had ever been part of their group. He talked about the Marine Corps and Vietnam and how much he believed in what he was doing. Maybe he’d stay in and make it a career, but he wasn’t really thinking beyond the years of his enlistment. “How about you, Caro?” When he used Chel’s nickname, she knew her friend was on
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